


the things we do for love

by iceprinceofbelair



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxiety, Charity Event, Fainting, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Married Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 15:16:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14287737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceprinceofbelair/pseuds/iceprinceofbelair
Summary: Viktor and Yuuri are participating in a blood donation drive with others in the figure skating community but things don't go quite as planned.





	the things we do for love

Usually, Viktor doesn’t mind being in front of the cameras. Usually, he’s camera-ready. But, then again, he usually isn’t about to have a needle stabbed into his arm and a pint of his blood forcibly taken from him. Despite what Yuuri says, he doesn’t think he’s exaggerating. He doesn’t like needles, never has. He remembers getting a meningitis vaccine when he was 21 only because Yakov had threatened something Viktor didn’t think proper to repeat in English.

At least Yuuri was with him. It made the whole thing a little more bearable. Despite feeling like his insides might actually consume themselves in fear, Viktor wasn’t about to pull out now. It was a charity event and, quite aside from not wanting to look bad, it was for a cause very dear to his husband’s heart.

Yuuri had told him with a soft, quiet voice about a boy he’d met during his junior years who had been saved by a blood transfusion to treat his anaemia. It was the only reason he’d been able to keep skating.

“I didn’t know him very well,” Yuuri had confessed. “He didn’t continue to seniors. But he helped me calm down once before the JGP and I want to do this for him.”

Viktor isn’t about to let Yuuri down.

So, here he is. Sitting in a blood donation clinic in Geneva with Yuuri on his left and Chris on his right. Yurio is on Yuuri’s other side and is pointedly not looking at either of them. Across the room, Phichit is giggling with Leo and Guang Hong and taking completely unsubtle pictures of Viktor and Yuuri. Viktor hears his phone buzz faintly in his jacket and deduces that they must be sending him photos of his terrified face with ridiculous snapchat filters.

“Doing okay?” Yuuri asks quietly in Russian.

Viktor looks over and attempts a smile. “Nervous,” is all he says, trying to keep his lips from moving too much. The entire reason they’re even speaking Russian is so nobody will be able to read their lips later.

Yuuri reaches out and offers his hand. With a more genuine smile this time, Viktor slides his hand into Yuuri’s and squeezes. It’s not comfortable but Viktor doesn’t plan to let go until this whole thing is over.

“I’ll be right here,” Yuuri assures him.

Phichit is making kissy faces across the room at them and Viktor feels a small semblance of calm come over him. If nothing else, his love for Yuuri is one thing he’s completely comfortable with in front of a camera.

The nurse who has been bustling around Yuuri finally has his equipment prepared and takes a seat next to him. Viktor has to look away as he inserts the needle and, in doing so, catches Chris’s eye. His friend offers him one of his less seductive smiles. Being in Geneva, Chris is garnering quite a lot of attention. He is, after all, their heart of their national skating pride. Chris, of course, takes this in his stride.

“It’s been too long since you were in Geneva, Vitya,” says Chris woefully in French. “I’ve missed having a challenging drinking partner.”

Viktor rolls his eyes fondly. “I’ve never found you to be much of a challenge,” he shoots back, making Chris laugh heartily.

“You wound me,” he says, putting his free hand (which isn’t connected to a needle) on his chest.

Viktor is grateful for Chris - their usual mildly flirtatious communication is helping take his mind off the inevitable violation which is to come.

(Yuuri might be right. He might be a tad dramatic.)

“It’s not as bad as you think,” Chris says softly in Russian before switching back to French without ever once changing his expression. “You should bring that gorgeous husband of yours round for dinner tonight.”

“Well, we were thinking of visiting Stephane since he is, of course, my favourite Swiss skater,” Viktor teases, adding his thanks in Russian.

Chris, deciding he is too hurt by Viktor’s comments to answer them directly, leans forward slightly to appeal to Yuuri in English. “Yuuri, darling, your husband is quite the dreadful heartbreaker.”

Yuuri, who Viktor notices has now finished being prodded and is sitting calmly squeezing a stress ball to help the blood flow, offers Chris an innocent smile. “Was I naive to assume that marriage would discourage your advances, Christophe?”

At the use of his full name, Chris fans himself with his free hand. “Goodness, what have I done to deserve such formality? You know how I feel about formality, Yuuri.”

Once upon a time, Yuuri might have been flustered into silence. Now, he’s endlessly familiar with Chris’s flirtations and simply rolls his eyes. “If you’re looking for a threesome, Chris, all you have to do is ask.”

Viktor nearly chokes on his own tongue and Chris practically dissolves into laughter.

“You picked a fiesty one, Vitya,” he says in French.

Viktor is about to respond when a nurse wheels her trolley over and offers him a smile.

“Hello, Monsieur Nikiforov. I am Elena. Let me see your arm,” she says in heavily accented English.

Viktor feels himself shaking as he extends his places his right arm on the armrest and takes a deep, slow breath.

“Do not worry,” says Elena kindly. “It will only pinch.”

“He speaks French, if you can stand the accent,” says Chris helpfully in French, offering Viktor a smirk. “He’s a Russian who learned from a Frenchman.”

Elena smiles, switching to French as she says, “I’m sure your French is lovely.”

“It’s one of my favourites to speak,” Viktor says, managing to keep his voice relatively steady and tries not to watch as she prepares her equipment.

“You speak Russian, French, and English fluently?” she asks conversationally.

Viktor swallows. “Yes. And I’m learning Japanese.”

She raises her eyebrows, looking impressed as she ties a band around Viktor’s upper arm. It hurts and Viktor tries to swallow his panic as she starts prodding gently at the inside of his elbow.

“You’re learning for your husband?” She asks, nodding over towards Yuuri. Viktor shoots Yuuri a smile. It’s clear his husband is only following roughly half of the conversation and Viktor feels bad for leaving him out but he also wants Elena to be able to communicate in a language in which she’s fluent.

“Hai,” Viktor says softly and Yuuri smiles fondly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Viktor’s hand. He doesn’t need to translate for Elena; his tone says it all.

“How long have you been married?” Elena asks, clearly trying to keep him distracted.

“Um,” he says, feeling the panic rise in his chest as she unwraps a fresh needle. He closes his eyes and squeezes Yuuri’s hand tighter. “Almost a year.”

“Are you planning anything for your anniversary?” She asks and Viktor feels a sharp pinch and it’s in.

He takes a deep breath. Okay. This could be worse. It’s horrible and he can feel it and the panic is settling almost restrictively in his chest but it’s okay.

“It’s okay,” Yuuri whispers in Russian. “Remember when you broke your ankle on that double axel in juniors? This can’t be worse than that.”

Despite the fear, Viktor looks over at Yuuri fondly. “You really were my biggest fan, weren’t you?”

Yuuri doesn’t flush. “Am,” he corrects. “Am your biggest fan.”

From behind Yuuri, Yurio sits forward and makes a vomiting noise before promptly slumping back against the chair again. Viktor’s laugh is strained but it’s genuine.

“Alright,” says Elena, apparently finished. “If you start to feel sick at any point, I want you to let me know. It happens all the time so don’t be embarrassed about it.” She turns to Yuuri and switches back to English. “How are you feeling, Mr Katsuki?”

Yuuri smiles. “Fine, thank you. And it’s still just Yuuri.”

Elena nods but doesn’t correct herself and gives Viktor a pointed look. “If you feel sick, tell me.”

And then she takes her trolley over to Leo.

Viktor keeps his eyes on Yuuri and tries not to think about it. Does he feel sick? Or is he just anxious? Well, now he’s anxious that he might be feeling sick. And it doesn’t help that the damn cameras are still staring him down. The clinic had required that they remain to one side of the room and out of the way and Viktor is endlessly thankful for small mercies.

“How do you think Makkachin would feel about another dog?” Yuuri asks and it takes Viktor completely by surprise.

“Not sure,” he answers somewhat breathlessly. “I’ve never asked her.”

Yuuri nods. Viktor fiddles with Yuuri’s wedding ring with his pinky.

“I think it’s a good idea though,” he adds after a moment. “Can’t have too many dogs, right?”

Viktor feels a slight twinge in his arm and gasps softly. He wants to cry. This is an entirely awful experience and he wants it to be over.

“I don’t like this,” he says in Russian, no longer trying to keep the distress out of his voice. It’s all he can do to keep himself looking calm for the cameras.

Yuuri doesn’t even blink. “Do you want to stop?” He asks and there’s no accusation or disappointment in his tone but Viktor reads those emotions into his voice anyway. He shakes his head.

“We’ve started now,” he says. “It’ll be over soon, right?”

Squeezing his hand again, Yuuri says gently, “It will. And I’ll stay right here. But remember you can stop whenever you want.”

Viktor nods.

“Are you feeling sick?” Yuuri asks, concerned.

“No,” Viktor mumbles, closing his eyes. He tries to hyperfocus on the feeling of Yuuri’s hand in his. It’s warm and solid and soft. If Viktor concentrates, he can feel every single point of connection, can trace the outline of Yuuri’s fingers as they fold round his own.

“You’re doing really well,” Yuuri says earnestly and Viktor feels the corners of his lips twitch into an involuntary smile. Yuuri is so good to him, he thinks.

In the end, it isn’t actually that bad. Yuuri says soft things in a mix of Russian and Japanese and Viktor hums and nods and plays with Yuuri’s slender fingers and tries to relax into his seat. For a moment, he feels a little…off. But it passes and Elena, who has just finished securing a sticky bandage to Yuuri’s inner elbow, returns to inspect his progress. She seems pleased.

“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” She says with a smile and Viktor gives her a slight shake of his head. She looks closely at him. “You look a little pale. Are you feeling okay?”

Viktor is thankful that Chris finished donating ages ago so he doesn’t have to endure snarky comments about his snow-climate complexion. “I’m alright,” he tells her. And he is.

Until he tries to stand up and the world tilts quite dramatically sideways. He reaches for Yuuri.

And then. Well, he isn’t sure what happens next. But then his head is settled comfortably in Yuuri’s lap and Yuuri’s delicate fingers are running gently through his hair which feels gross from the nervous sweats he’d experienced an hour ago. Viktor wants to tell him to wait until he’s had a shower but he also doesn’t want Yuuri to stop.

“It’s alright, Vitya,” Yuuri’s voice says warmly. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

Viktor stares up at Yuuri who looks somewhat blurry. He wonders briefly if he’s supposed to be wearing glasses but then remembers that Yuuri is the one who wears them. Is this what Yuuri sees when he’s skating? How does he avoid the barriers?

“Can you sit up for me, love?” Yuuri asks and Viktor tries his best but he probably couldn’t have managed it without Yuuri’s strong, guiding arms. Have Yuuri’s biceps always been this…firm?

Viktor rests his head on Yuuri’s shoulder and sighs. His entire body feels tingly and he feels like he’s floating just outside of himself. Not to mention his stomach is tying itself in knots. His arms shake where they try to support him but Yuuri’s body is a rock, keeping him anchored.

Elena hands Yuuri a carton of apple juice and Viktor watches with rapt fascination while Yuuri expertly releases the attached straw from its plastic wrapping with one hand and pierces the foil on top of the carton, keeping his other arm wrapped firmly round his husband’s waist. Somewhat dazedly, Viktor wonders if this is why damsels are always in distress. Having Yuuri take charge of things so smoothly is just about the most attractive thing Viktor has ever seen and Viktor tells him so in Russian. Well, he tries to tell him. But it comes out mumbled and half in French and Yuuri just kisses his forehead indulgently.

“Small sips,” Yuuri says as he holds the juicebox so that the straw just touches Viktor’s lips.

The sweet taste makes Viktor feel a little more real. He can feel the ground solidifying beneath him as the chill floods through his chest and travels down into his stomach. After a moment, he lifts a shaky hand to take the juicebox from Yuuri but he doesn’t make any other moves to support himself independently. Yuuri doesn’t seem to mind. His now free hand comes to rest softly on Viktor’s thigh.

For a moment, everything is bliss. And then the realisation of what just happened comes crashing down on Viktor and he feels his face turn a brilliant shade of scarlet. He buries his face in Yuuri’s shoulder and groans.

“This is so embarrassing,” he says mournfully.

Yuuri shushes him kindly and Elena says, “You have no reason to be embarrassed. This happens a lot.”

Her words do give Viktor a little reassurance but he can’t help thinking that most people don’t faint in front of a full camera crew and end up with gifs of themselves collapsing on the internet forever. Knowing the speed of the online world, Viktor wouldn’t be surprised if those gifs were already circulating on tumblr. He groans again.

“Vitya,” Yuuri coaxes, nudging his shoulder slightly to get Viktor to show his face. “Finish your juice. There’s still half left.”

Reluctantly, Viktor takes another few sips of his juicebox and is somewhat frustrated that he enjoys the taste of it when he’s doing his best to feel embarrassed and miserable. He feels Yuuri’s lips against his hair and the soft, warm huffs of Yuuri’s breath ruffling the strands of his fringe and he thinks that maybe this isn’t the absolute worst thing in the world.

It’s going to take a while to repair his image, though. He takes a moment to mourn that before he finishes his juice forcefully so that it makes a pointed gurgling noise to prove to Yuuri that it’s finished.

True to their word, Elena and Yuuri help him unsteadily to his feet and he’s soon settled in a plastic chair with Yurio on one side and Chris on the other. Yuuri crouches down in front of him and smiles.

“Feeling a bit better?” He asks kindly.

Viktor doesn’t get a chance to answer before Yurio butts in. “Is it true you fainted? I mean, you actually fainted?”

It takes Viktor a moment to register Yurio’s strange accent but Yuuri seems to be on it far faster than he is because he says, “Shove off, Malfoy,” and Chris lets out a snort.

“For real, though,” Chris says. “Are you okay? Nothing damaged?”

Viktor sighs. “Only my pride.”

“You needed taking down a peg,” says Chris matter-of-factly and Viktor aims a lethargic punch at his leg.

Yuuri catches his hand as he brings it back and kisses it gently and Viktor thinks he can see every single star right there in his eyes. “I’m so proud of you,” he says earnestly.

And Viktor thinks that maybe it’s okay after all. Because Yuuri is proud of him. And that’s enough.


End file.
